Mom and pops are fading
Word that landmark Fukushima Store in Haiku may be closing prompted a search for a yellowed clipping from the Sunday feature section of the Dec. 14, 1986 edition of The Maui News.
Under the heading, "A look at Maui's unique Mom and Pop stores," the full-page photo essay features a picture of 70-year-old store matriarch, Yoshie Fukushima. She wears a big smile as she assembles a hot dog behind a bun steamer.
In the story, Yoshie is asked what makes Fukushima's world-renowned hot dog sauce so special.
"It's a secret sauce, I can't tell," she replied. With a laugh and slap on the arm, she added, "shame on you for asking."
The 1986 essay celebrated Maui's many mom and pops and mourned the trend that saw them fading away as big box chains arrived to the island. Folks of a certain age can cast back to the smells and sounds of their favorite haunts, the items that made them special. Some of those businesses are still with us. Most have gone by the wayside.
There are no more boiled peanuts from Waikapu Stop or saimin from Suda's. Nagasako's in Lahaina was our favorite spot to buy marinated aku. Noda Market had wonderful prepared foods, while the lunch counter at Toda Drugs was the place to grab a seat and catch up on the latest gossip. Considering Kaupo Store's remote location, whatever food or drinks it had in stock were treasured. Other Maui ghosts include: Iao Grocery, Azeka’s, Nagata Store, T.K. Supermarket, Shima Poi Shop, Ah Fook's, Ooka's, Kitada's, Waihee Country Store and Haliimaile General Store. Pending a decision on its future, Fukushima's is one of the few family-run businesses mentioned in the 1986 piece still standing. Other stalwarts include: Pukalani Superette, Komoda Bakery, Takamiya Market, Ching Store, Henry Fong General Store, Sam Sato's, Tasaka GuriGuri, Home Maid Bakery and Hasegawa General Store.
We have covered enough closings of mom and pops to know the decision is rarely an easy one. It often marks the end of a family operation dating back generations. Employees and loyal customers take these closings particularly hard. Owners mention the long hours they had to put in and the many sacrifices they made for the business, but rarely lay blame there.
We stopped by Fukushima's Thursday, and though it was a little early in the day, bought a hot dog with the works. Standing right where Yoshie did in 1986, spreading a sauce that is still secret, smiling staffers were dressing and wrapping dogs so quickly their hands were a blur.
Slathered with condiments, heaped with pickle and onion, our hot dog was every bit as tasty as remembered. Will it be the last? Time will tell for this beloved mom and pop.